Focus is a regular premium, investment-linked whole-of-life plan from Utmost Worldwide Limited. Unlike many regular savings plans it has no fixed maturity date, and it works through a commitment period of 3 to 15 years rather than a conventional term. This page explains how that works, what it charges, how the commitment reward is earned and lost, and what to ask before you sign or if you already hold it.
It is general information for UK expats, not personal advice. The figures come from Utmost’s Focus Life key features document, dated January 2022. It does not state the rates of most charges and does not say whether the plan is open to new applicants, so those points are marked. Check everything against your own policy documents.
This guide sits under our section on regular savings plans for expats. You can see every plan we cover on our expat savings plan reviews page.
Utmost Focus at a glance
| Feature | Summary |
|---|---|
| Provider | Utmost Worldwide Limited, regulated in Guernsey |
| Type | Regular premium, investment-linked whole-of-life assurance |
| Status | . The key features document does not say |
| Commitment period | 3 to 15 years. No maturity date and no minimum holding period |
| Currencies | USD, EUR, GBP, HKD, SGD, JPY and AUD |
| Minimum premium | From USD 500 a month on a 10 to 15 year commitment |
| Reward | Commitment reward of up to 5% of regular premiums paid |
| Early exit | Remaining establishment fees to the end of the commitment period are deducted, and the reward is lost |
| Death benefit | 101% of the investment value, for up to four lives |
| Protection | Guernsey policyholder protection of 90% of the insurer’s liabilities |
What is Utmost Focus?
Focus is an investment-linked plan issued as whole-of-life assurance. You commit to paying regular premiums for a set period, between 3 and 15 years. Your money buys units in lower-cost funds selected by Utmost, and the value goes up and down with them. The plan has no maturity date. It carries on until you surrender it in full or a death claim is paid, so the commitment period is the stretch over which the establishment fees are spread and the reward is earned.
The plan can cover up to four lives, on a single-life, first-death or last-survivor basis. The cost of life cover is included in the overall plan cost, so it does not appear as a separate charge.
Who it may suit, and who it may not
It may suit you if:
- You want a shorter commitment than the 10 to 25 years some plans demand.
- You want the option to pause payments briefly without losing the reward.
- You like the idea of a plan with no fixed end date.
It may not suit you if:
- You may need to withdraw money during the commitment period, which reduces or removes the reward.
- You cannot afford the higher minimums that apply to shorter commitments.
- You expect to leave early, because the remaining establishment fees come off the surrender value.
How the plan works
Minimum premiums. The minimum depends on the length of the commitment. Shorter commitments need much higher payments. The document gives these monthly minimums for regular premiums.
| Commitment period | USD | EUR | GBP | HKD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 to 4 years | 2,000 | 1,800 | 1,500 | 16,000 |
| 5 to 9 years | 750 | 675 | 562.50 | 6,000 |
| 10 to 15 years | 500 | 450 | 375 | 4,000 |
The document also lists minimums in Singapore dollars, Japanese yen and Australian dollars. A single premium plan has a minimum equal to the 3 to 4 year level.
Investments. Plan investments are lower-cost funds selected by Utmost, each carrying a risk indicator from 1 (lowest) to 7 (highest). An optional investment service can choose investments for you for an extra fee. Fund fees are built into the fund price.
Plan segments. The plan is split into 100 identical but separate segments, which can matter for how partial surrenders are treated for tax in some countries. Ask how it applies where you live.
Charges explained
Fees are generally taken monthly at the end of each plan month. The key features document names the charges but gives the rates for only a few of them. The rest are in your policy documents.
| Charge | How it works |
|---|---|
| Regular premium establishment fee | A fixed monthly fee for set-up costs. It stops at the end of the commitment period. Rate not stated in the document |
| Single premium establishment fee | A percentage of the single premium allocation. Rate not stated |
| Administration fee | A monthly percentage of plan units. Rate not stated |
| Maintenance fee | A fixed monthly fee, waived above certain premium or investment levels. Amount not stated |
| Insurance and investment adviser fees | Monthly percentages of plan units, where agreed. Rate not stated |
| Foreign exchange fee | 0.5% on top of the market rate when currency is converted |
| Bank fee on payments out | A fixed deduction of USD 15, EUR 13.50, GBP 11.25 or HKD 120, among others |
| Optional investment service fee | A monthly percentage of plan units. Rate not stated |
| Fund charges | Built into each fund price |
Utmost’s own brochure says these rates are set out in your personalised illustration, so they cannot be compared from public documents. Utmost’s January 2024 investment brochure adds that the optional Utmost Worldwide Investment Service costs 0.5% a year, and that the annual management charges of the plan’s funds range from 0.06% to 1.25% a year. The establishment fee is calculated on your highest committed premium and does not fall if you later reduce your premium. Ask Utmost or your adviser for a written schedule of every charge for your policy, in money, over the commitment period and beyond. Note also that the document gives two different minimum surrender figures without explaining the difference, so ask which applies. Fees taken from a plan to pay third parties are treated as partial withdrawals, and Utmost may refuse them.
The commitment reward
If you meet your committed premium obligation, Utmost pays a commitment reward of up to 5% of the regular premiums paid. It is lost, or cut, in these cases.
- If you surrender during the commitment period, the reward is lost.
- If total partial withdrawals stay below 10% of the committed premium over the commitment period, the reward falls to 2.5% of regular premiums paid. If they exceed that threshold, or the commitment is not met, it is lost entirely.
As with any bonus, it is paid for by the plan’s charges. Compare the total cost, not the size of the reward.
Pausing, withdrawing and stopping
Take-a-Break. From six months after the start date, you can pause committed premiums for up to one month for each year of the commitment, in up to three blocks. A 12-year commitment, for example, allows up to 12 months in total. Fees continue during the pause but the reward is protected. This is a more flexible feature than many competing plans offer.
Withdrawals. Allowed, but they break the commitment and reduce the reward as described. Tax consequences may apply.
Surrender in the commitment period. The remaining regular premium establishment fees, up to the end of the commitment period, are deducted from the surrender value, and the reward is lost. Ask for a written figure.
Lapse. The plan can lapse or be terminated if committed premiums go unpaid and the surrender value falls below set thresholds, for example USD 1,500, EUR 1,350 or GBP 1,125.
Cooling off. You have 30 days to cancel. The premium is refunded less external bank fees, with possible adjustments for falls in unit value and dealing costs.
Death benefit and protection
On death Utmost pays 101% of the investment value. The plan can cover up to four lives. Under Guernsey’s policyholder protection regime, an approved independent trustee protects 90% of the insurer’s liabilities to policyholders if it becomes insolvent. That protects against the insurer failing, not against falls in fund values. Complaints go first to Utmost, then to the Channel Islands Financial Ombudsman.
Tax for UK expats
The plan is issued in Guernsey, which does not make it tax-free for you. Tax depends on where you are resident when you surrender, withdraw or die. If you return to the UK, gains can be taxed as chargeable event gains, which can be significant. See our guides to offshore investment bonds and inheritance tax for UK expats.
How Focus compares with other plans
Focus differs from most regular savings plans in having a short commitment period, no maturity date and a pause feature. Others lean on longer terms and bigger bonuses. Compare it with the RL360 Regular Savings Plan, Zurich Vista and FPI Premier Advance. For any of them, ask for total cost in money and exit values at years 1, 5 and 10.
Utmost Focus: frequently asked questions
1. Is Utmost Focus still available?
The key features document does not say.
2. Does Focus have a maturity date?
No. It continues until you surrender it or a death claim is paid.
3. How long is the commitment period?
Between 3 and 15 years.
4. Can I pause payments?
Yes, with Take-a-Break: up to one month a year of commitment, in up to three blocks. Fees continue.
5. What is the commitment reward?
Up to 5% of regular premiums paid, if you meet your commitment. Withdrawals reduce or remove it.
6. What does it cost to leave early?
The remaining establishment fees to the end of the commitment period are deducted from the surrender value.
7. Which currencies are available?
US dollars, euros, pounds, Hong Kong dollars, Singapore dollars, yen and Australian dollars.
8. Can you review my Focus plan?
Yes. Send us your latest statement and policy documents and we will set out the costs and your options.
Get your Focus plan reviewed
If you hold Focus or are being offered it, we can show you the real cost, your exit position and the alternatives. Request a callback and we will arrange a time that suits your time zone.